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Anchorage, Alaska to explore possible 2026 Winter Bid


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Regardless of everything else, Anchorage is still too far from the other 304 million people of the US. Besides, we've already had too much of all that 'Eskimo/Aleutian' motifs for winter Opening Ceremonies for awhile.

The fact that Anchorage is far off the beaten track is a GREAT selling point. The fact that they would be the northernmost Games is also a great selling point. It has an exotic flavor to it. It's different. Being removed from the continental United States gives it distinct character. Americans would absolutely travel to Anchorage. And it's certainly a relatively short trip for Canadians and Russians (heck, Sarah Palin can see the Russians from her house! Kidding.)

Anchorage offers a great way to return to North America without it feeling like the same-old, same-old. As you well know, Anchorage has a VERY different vibe from Vancouver.

Plus, they certainly wouldn't have to worry about snow.

The bigger questions will have to do with funding, hotel rooms, the technical aspects. I don't think there's any doubt though that Anchorage checks the "X factor" box when it comes to character for a host of Winter Games.

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Yeah, x-factor alone, Anchorage's got it moreso than the other three U.S. winter hopefuls. It would have that mystiqueness going for it, & the potential of being North America's "Lillehammer". Could you imagine the Northern Lights, if it were possible, in an Opening Ceremony! C'mon, even Baron would have to love that!

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Well, how come it didn't exactly set the winter Olympic world on fire in its 1992 and 1994 outings?

C'mon, baron. You know better than that. Sofia was the favorite for 1992, but JAS' meddling to get Barcelona the 1992 Summer Olympics at whatever costs, gave Albertville the 1992 Winter Games to Paris (Barcelona's main rival) would be severely derailed at landing the '92 Summer Games.

And for '94, & I think the very article that starts out this thread gives a pretty good detail on their '94 loss. Plus, the world didn't know yet how good Lillehammer was gonna turn out to be.

Not to mention that 1988 was already in Calgary, so a consecutive Winter Olympics in North America wasn't going to happen. That was dumb on Anchorage's & the USOC's part.

And if the Northern Lights aren't around come the night of the Opening Ceremonies, they can surely fake it via special effects etc. :P

You just have the answers for everything, don't you. :P

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Not to mention that 1988 was already in Calgary, so a consecutive Winter Olympics in North America wasn't going to happen. That was dumb on Anchorage's & the USOC's part.

Not even just that.. the United States had just hosted a Winter Olympics in 1980 and a Summer Olympics in 1984. Why the USOC was so gung ho to jump back in the race (although they did somewhat justify that strategy when they lucked into Atlanta's win). If the USOC hadn't bid with Anchorage, it would have been another city, probably Salt Lake that the USOC put forth.

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^yeah, & for '94 you also had two strong Nordic winter powers going after those Games. Ostersund was the favorite for '94. They were just bidding at the wrong time. Had the USOC continued with them all the way 'til 2002, perhaps we would've seen Anchorage instead of Salt Lake.

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^yeah, & for '94 you also had two strong Nordic winter powers going after those Games. Ostersund was the favorite for '94. They were just bidding at the wrong time. Had the USOC continued with them all the way 'til 2002, perhaps we would've seen Anchorage instead of Salt Lake.

& perhaps a Gore vs. Romney in 2000, instead.

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Can anyone inform us about existing sports facilities in Anchorage?

Sullivan Arena.

The University is building a new Ice Hockey arena.

The football stadium near Sullivan Arena could potentially host ceremonies at an expanded 50,000 or so capacity.

The existing ski resorts and their slopes.

Kincaid Park right next to the Airport would serve Biathlon and Cross Country Skiing.

Hilltop ski area was mentioned earlier to have some existing small ski jumps. This could serve as the basis for a proper ski hill. You could have the sliding track here too.

The Olympic Village would be at the University of Alaska, as could a legacy Speed Skating Oval.

A new major arena would have to be built in the city, as would a temporary one for Short Track and Figure Skating, unless of course they revive that 1994 idea of a multifunction venue.

The existing convention centers seem barely capable of hosting any of the media. I would place the Press at the existing two convention centers but they are unideal separate facilities. Anchorage would be better off offering a legacy office building to serve as Main Press Center or a temporary facility located right next to the ceremonies venue, possibly that football stadium near Sullivan Arena.

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They have Sullivan Arena.

That's all i know

That arena will be old by 2026, and is even older than it looks. They could definitely afford to build a new state of the art 15,000 arena as legacy after the games to replace Sullivan.

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^^ Even the minimum 12,000 seats for Short Track/Figure Skating (but will most likely serve Ice Hockey I) would be one of the legacy venues. Surely a city like Anchorage would find good use for it, even if it's mostly indoor concerts.

The new arena being built at the University, Alaska Arilines Center, is designed for basketball and would seat 5,600. http://www.alaskapublic.org/2013/05/10/final-piece-of-steel-in-place-at-the-alaska-airlines-center/

A few modifications to lower level seating and a temporary platform could have it serve as the Curling venue at around 3,000 minimum to say 4,000+.

They could even do the Vancouver approach and propose the Curling venue and Speed Skating venue be new venues which will be modified post Olympics as legacy recreational facilities. As such, the arena at the University as well as all other University facilities could serve for exclusive use by athletes and officials.

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Again, '92 & '94 really have no bearings. North America wasn't going to get the winter games again right after Calgary. Not to mention the other internal IOC politics that played their rolls. And the following race was between the two Scandinavians competitors, anyway.

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^^ As opposed to the likes of Reno, who has to prove itself from the get go.

Don't be stupid. The slopes of Tahoe are popular, proven and accessible. Why, even our own Sir Rols flies over from your very own Oz to ski in Squaw Valley/Tahoe area!! :P

To wit, Reno/Tahoe is:

- 1 to 1.5 hrs drive of the combined est. 5.5 million population of the Sacramento area (#27 MSA) and CA Central Valley population centers; and

- 3.5 hrs' drive from the 7.5 million population of the SF/ San Jose Bay Area (#12 in MSAs) -- for a combined population accessibility of some 13 million. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Metropolitan_Statistical_Areas

Compared to the 1 day, 21 hours (45 hours driving time) drive time between Anchorage and the next closest major population area, Vancouver. Anchorage, of course, is at the stunning MSA rank of #134 at 380,000. Wow! #134! Blow me over!! :wacko:

I guess using those maps which show data such as immediate, easy accessbility to major metro markets shown to the IOC by the Olympic bidding cities, doesn't matter then? :blink: Hmmmm. Let's see where the people who will work the Games and fill the arenas and slopes will come from?? :P

Bottom line: Anchorage is too small AND too remote from the major population centers. Will be very hard to sell as an affordable, family event.

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Don't be stupid. The slopes of Tahoe are popular, proven and accessible. Why, even our own Sir Rols flies over from your very own Oz to ski in Squaw Valley/Tahoe area!! :P

To wit, Reno/Tahoe is:

- 1 to 1.5 hrs drive of the combined est. 5.5 million population of the Sacramento area (#27 MSA) and CA Central Valley population centers; and

- 3.5 hrs' drive from the 7.5 million population of the SF/ San Jose Bay Area (#12 in MSAs) -- for a combined population accessibility of some 13 million. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Metropolitan_Statistical_Areas

Compared to the 1 day, 21 hours (45 hours driving time) drive time between Anchorage and the next closest major population area, Vancouver. Anchorage, of course, is at the stunning MSA rank of #134 at 380,000. Wow! #134! Blow me over!! :wacko:

I guess using those maps which show data such as immediate, easy accessbility to major metro markets shown to the IOC by the Olympic bidding cities, doesn't matter then? :blink: Hmmmm. Let's see where the people who will work the Games and fill the arenas and slopes will come from?? :P

Bottom line: Anchorage is too small AND too remote from the major population centers. Will be very hard to sell as an affordable, family event.

Yet Lillehammer and Pyeongchang hosted/will host

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and few cities are the eyesore that Reno is

Here we go again. Have you even been there? :blink:

Well, eyesore or Eore, its 'revitalziation' would make a compelling sales pitch. If Anchorage is so pretty, then it doesn't need the Olympics. The revitalization angle worked fine for Barcelona and London -- why shouldn't it work for other cities? Because of prejudice and bigotry on the part of certain GB members. Sadly, you have become one of them. :P

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Yet Lillehammer and Pyeongchang hosted/will host

Worries me a little bit that I'm siding with baron on this one..

Lillehammer hosted a 20th century Olympics, not a 21st. Even still, they're a relatively short train ride from Oslo. Pyeongchang is getting a high-speed rail line to connect it with Seoul.

Anchorage is a long ways away from more than 99% of the population of the country it resides in. It may be beautiful and picturesque and have that certain X-factor, but in practical terms, it doesn't make that much sense. Whereas Norway and Korea can say they've built these facilities for competition and training relatively close to a large percentage of their population, Anchorage can't make the same claim. Getting people to come to the Games is one thing, but it's not the most practical place to invest in that type of infrastructure and leave a legacy the IOC is always looking for.

Again, I'm interested to see what Anchorage has to offer. But the USOC needs to balance what's going to appeal to the IOC and what makes sense for them. Plus remember, Anchorage backed down when faced with the cost of an Olympics once before. Easier said than done they'll have the drive they need to convince the USOC that Anchorage, Alaska can land an Olympics.

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